Whoever said that the metaverse was already a has-been? Certainly not the fashion and luxury industries, which are continuing to roll out initiatives for this parallel world, blurring the boundaries between real and virtual. One year after the name change from Facebook’ to Meta, here are the latest developments testifying to the fashion industry’s infatuation with this new world of avatars.

After having explored the infinite possibilities offered by NFTs from top to bottm, the fashion industry seems to be investing in its positioning when it comes to digital fashion and gaming. These are two playgrounds that it has been experimenting with for over a year now, but where activity now seems to be ramping up. The latest launches of Balmain, Dolce & Gabbana, Ralph Lauren, H&M, and of course Gucci, all revolve around these virtual worlds. It may still be a tentative step forward, but it shows the growing interest of an entire industry for these futuristic practices and milieus.

The winning duo of virtual fashion and gaming

The latest Metaverse Fashion Trend Report by Roblox, published in early November, reveals that Generation Z nowadays gives as much importance to virtual fashion as to physical – or ‘real’ – fashion. A revelation that gives brands and luxury labels something to think about, as they try to win the favors of this key target market whose purchasing power keeps growing over the years. So it’s not surprising to see renewed interest from the entire industry for virtual wear of all kinds, which continues to gain ground.

After Balenciaga in 2021, followed by Moncler and Armani Beauty, it is now the Ralph Lauren label that has announced a partnership with popular game “Fortnite” (Epic Games), with the key collection “Polo Stadium Ralph Lauren.” It’s an opportunity for the luxury brand to present digital clothing and accessories, which can be transposed in the real world, to some 350 million potential players (the number of registered users in 2022). Balmain meanwhile has announced a partnership with the video game “Need for Speed” (Electronic Arts) with the introduction of some of its latest creations in digital versions.

source: https://www.thestar.com.my/tech/tech-news/2022/11/21/virtual-clothes-and-gaming-fashion-is-still-excited-about-the-metaverse